Basketball Game Preview: Manning Monarchs vs. Marion Swamp Foxes

The Manning Monarchs will take on the Marion Swamp Foxes at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Manning is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.3 points per game this season.

Manning is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Atlantic Collegiate Academy on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Manning was dealt a 71-41 loss at the hands of Atlantic Collegiate Academy. While losing is never fun, the Monarchs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Armada are ranked 17th).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Lovell Stevenson, who posted eight points along with five rebounds and three steals. He is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Lovon Stevenson, who put up four points in addition to seven boards and three steals.

Even though they lost, Manning smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Marion was able to grind out a solid victory over Kingstree on Wednesday, taking the game 51-40.

Marion is also on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-12 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.9 points per game. As for Manning, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-5.

Manning came up short against Marion when the teams last played back in January, falling 56-46. Will Manning have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.